Dream Children : A Reverie , written by Charles Lamb is an autobiographical account of his own life where he uses a romanticism of dream like narrative structures. He was associated with Samuel Coleridge at that time and the profound influence of Coleridge can be seen in the essay. The essay is considered to be a masterpiece that reveals the life and desires of the author himself. As Freud have highlighted before that dreams are the royal road to the unconscious world, one also sees the deepest desires of the author’s unconscious world. He has used imaginary characters namely Alice and John who are supposed to be the children of James Elia (Lamb).
The essay is autobiographical and it follows the dream like and recollections of memories. One has to understand the life of Charles Lamb before one reads the essay. In the essay, James Elia represents Charles Lamb himself. His grandmother is Mrs. Field and Bridget is Mary Lamb. John L is John Lamb who is Charles Lamb brother and Alice W refers to Charles Lamb beloved Ann Simons whom he was unable to marry. Bartrum refers to Mr. Bartrum who married Ann Simons in real life.
From a psychological point of view, the author’s unconscious desires are revealed in the essay. The imaginary children Alice and John listening to James Elia’s story shows the author’s imagination of his own children with Ann Simons. Charles Lamb seems to have a deep desire to have children with Ann Simons but he is unable to get married to her. This revelation of the essay that includes the imaginary children shows Lamb’s unfulfilled desires that are floating inside in him in the form of a dream. This reflects Freudian idea of dream where dreams are nothing but the unfulfilled desires of a human being repressed inside the unconscious mind.
However , Charles Lamb also recalls back his past memories of his grandmother . His grandmother was a pious and a religious woman who takes care of the mansion of Norfolk. She was Mrs. Filed who is Lamb’s grandmother herself and she died. The recollection of his uncle also shows his relationship with him who carried him in his back as he suffers from pain while walking as well as the courting with Alice W. These recollections and recalling back of memories and intervening with a different narratives of dream shows his autobiographical accounts of his own life as well as the increase loneliness and isolation of the author himself.
In addition to this , the representation of his brother John Lamb reflects Lamb’s own personal regret and suffering he endured in his life. The essay reveals that he was not there for his brother as he was lame. Elia had a brother John full of enthusiasm and a zeal, who was loved by everyone specially by their grandmother. On the other hand,Elia’s childhood was full of isolation and he remained stagnant throughout his life. His mind was working fast but he was bodily or physically totally off and idle. He was lame and he helped John in every possible way who used to carry him in his back. Unfortunately, John also became lame but Elia never helped him and after his death , he starts missing him. The recollections from orchid trees and fish ponds reminds of his brother,John Lamb.
The unrequited love between Charles Lamb and his beloved Ann Simons is also revealed in the essay. She is represented as Alice W whom Elia constantly finds her shadow in his daughter Alice. It reveals Lamb’s own personal love to marry Ann Simons but it remains unfulfilled. This is a biographical account that is shown in the essay but Alice tells Elia that she and John are not his children and they vanishes. Hence, the essay reveals the theme of loss, regrets , unrequited love and the loneliness of Lamb.
Summary of R.K Narayan A Library Without Books
Summary of Charles Lamb My Relations